THE THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW

The vocal agility of narrator Marisa Blake transports listeners back to the 1950s. Nine-year-old Andrea Rodriguez and her brother are whisked away from Woronoco, Massachusetts, to Puerto Rico by their disinterested single mother and left in the care of relatives. Missing home, they contact their father, Luis, and the three return to Woronoco. Blake aptly narrates Andrea's emotions as she grapples with her Puerto Rican identity, having a single father, and peer pressure. She nimbly changes tone and accent when dealing with delicate issues such as racism and LGBTQIA matters. Voicing Luis in English and Spanish, Blake's changes in accent, timbre, and tone are impressive, successfully conveying a father who is trying his best. A stirring story about familial love. A.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]